5i6 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



in mind, and pruning" directed so as to 

 encourage it. These sweet cherry trees 

 are naturally pyramidal in form, and 

 this habit must of course be encouraged. 

 Farther than this, the only pruning- required 

 will be the removal of branches that cross, 

 and those that are dead. 



THK SOl'R CHKKRV CLASS 



on the other hand, form round bushy heads, 

 and during- the first tliree or four years the 

 pruning- should be directed toward securing- 

 this form. At time of planting the three or 

 four top branches should be shortened to 

 within four or five buds of their base, and 

 four or five shoots encouraged to form the 

 frame-work of the head. These must again 

 be shortened the next year, and such second- 

 ary branches allowed to grow as will fill up 

 the spaces and give symmetry. In three or 

 four years a permanent form will have been 

 secured, and it will only be necessary to 

 remove superfluous growth from year to 

 year. 



The late Patrick Barry gave the following 

 directions for 



PRUNING THE CHERRY AS A I'VRA.MID. 



The leader or stem is cut back to within 

 six, eight or ten buds of the branches. 

 Those having no branches are cut back to 

 \Vithin six or eight buds of the stock, and 

 this is the first pruning. 



When the shoots have grown a couple of 

 inches in length, such as are intended for 

 permanent branches are chosen, and the 

 others are pinched in the same manner as 

 recommended for pears and apples. Such 

 as acquire more vigor than is consistent 

 with their position, must be checked. It 

 frequently happens that, unless the leader 

 has been cut back close, only three or four 

 shoots will be produced at the extremity, 

 leaving a vacant space below. This can be 

 remedied in most cases by pinching the 

 shoots around the leader when they have 

 grown about an inch. In some cases it 

 may be necessary even to check the leader 

 to force the lower buds into growth. This 

 is a point of considerable importance in con- 

 ducting a pyramid, and should never be lost 

 sight of. 



Pruning. — Probably one of the best tests 

 as to a good knowledge of practical garden- 

 ing lies in the manner in which the pruning 

 knife is handled, for the deplorable effects 

 of a lack of this knowledge are seen every- 

 where. The chief success in fruit-culture 

 comes from the knowledge and the practice 

 of judicious pruning. One has but to look 

 at an ordinary vineyard, and the result of 

 some good gardener's growth of grapes 

 under glass, to see the wide difference be- 

 tween ignorance and knowledge. The good 

 grape-grow^er under glass will use the prun- 

 ing-knife so judiciously that the plants will 

 be healthy and productive for a hundred 

 years, bearing fruit as freely and as vigorous- 

 ly from near the roots as at the top of the 

 vine. The g-rower on the gfarden trellis, or 



on the side of a barn or building, finds his 

 vines no good at the end of a few years. The 

 variety he pronounces no good, and he 

 rushes after every new kind to correct the 

 results of his own folly. 



One may travel through the length and 

 breadth of the land and not find a case of 

 sound pruning, and, at the same time, notice 

 the weakness and decay in orchards every- 

 where, — all due to ignorance of pruning. 

 There will be seen many cases where the 

 owners understood this much : that pruning 

 was a necessary part of a good gardening 

 education — but not knowing anything of 

 causes and results, they have rather hasten- 

 ed than arrested the destruction of their 

 trees. — Meehari s Monthly. 



